Pattern of dental anomalies in nonsyndromic clefts and its relationship to neural crest developmental fields

Abstract

Objectives: To correlate dental anomalies in different cleft groups with that of the neural crest developmental fields. Materials and Methods: The study was performed at the Department of Orthodontics, Tamil Nadu Government Dental College and Hospital, Chennai on 60 subjects with cleft of lip, palate in the age group of 12-25 years of both genders. Subjects were divided into two major groups. Group A consisted of 30 subjects with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) and Group B comprised of 30 subjects with bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP). For assessment purpose both right and left side UCLP patients were grouped together. The subjects were classified by cleft type into one of three groups as unilateral left cleft lip and palate, unilateral right cleft lip and palate, BCLP. Results: Statistical analysis using Chi-square test yielded significant differences in agenesis of tooth (P < 0.001), ectopic eruption (P < 0.001), rotated tooth (P < 0.001), and impacted tooth (P < 0.001). The other dental anomalies did not yield any significant differences. Conclusion: Agenesis of the lateral incisor was the most common dental anomaly in the frontonasal field area. The ectopic eruption was the prevalent dental anomaly in the maxillary field area and agenesis of second premolar in the palatine field area.